The following is posed to be a subjective review without any intent of inputting constructive insight. Despite my lack of intent, I’ll try my best to thoroughly examine the film as constructively as possible. Expect an update to this review after I visit more Satoshi Kon titles. At the time of this writing, I’ve only watched Perfect Blue & Millennium Actress. I wouldn’t count my experience with Paprika since I viewed that film once and that too when I was very young. A revisit of that film shall be in place soon as well.
Before you proceed any further, I’d like for you
...
to heed my precautionary advices:
-Before mentioning anything else, know that this won’t be a spoiler free review so please watch the film before you proceed any further.
-If you’re familiar with any of my previous review(s), I’m not a big fan of summarising or giving any sort of synopsis - rather I’m not as good at it as I’d like to be. Whatever events or plot lines I bring up are solely for discussion and nits and bits of analysis.
-This review is solely my own perspective and shouldn’t necessarily influence or indoctrinate someone else’s point of view. If it somehow inspires or encourages, I’m not liable for it.
-Any criticism pertaining to the staff of this film isn’t equivalent to calculating their intelligence or talent. We all have different tastes and yes, some executions or works can be carried out in more conventional, innovative, or coherent ways.
-If my review somehow matches with someone else’s, know that it’s just a coincidence and has nothing to do with me. They just happen to have a similar viewpoint, that’s all.
-Don’t let my rating deceive you in any way. The rating doesn’t matter as much as my review does. My rating system is a bit different compared to most people I know, so I admit that it’s not the best.
-You’re free to respond to this or any of my reviews in my profile My only request for you would be to remain cordial.
-I’ll repetitively refer to Satoshi Kon as a ‘madman’: this isn’t to insult him but rather glorify him. I’m using it as a compliment for his direction’s philosophy.
With all those warnings put up, it’s time to delve into the review. Have fun and thank you for reading !
Introduction:
It would dishonest of me to say that I wasn’t expecting anything from the film. Given how infamous Satoshi Kon’s mind was, I was in for quite the kicker. The film plays around with lots of significant worldly themes displayed in a worldly manner that can only be understood in a setting that it participates in. You can’t call it ‘unique’ given that it is somewhat of a grab from the streets but also in that same regard, what it displays isn’t whether there is something unique about this specific heap from the streets. What we are met with are simply people, who due to certain and unavoidable circumstances, ended up in a point of time that rendered them to be situated below the poverty line. The audience is aware of the harsh reality and cruel lifestyle that these characters have to abide by. In fact, maybe the reason why the audience should feel for these characters isn’t for what they go through but what they strive to live by. Of course, we can associate such a tone or motif with given mediums within the same genre or style of filmography, or perhaps even literature. Now, Satoshi Kon being the madman he was certainly has a ‘kink’ for subduing the audience with very disturbing and at times, awkwardly placed elements within his films: so it was a surprise when this film didn’t place as much groceries on the table. I wouldn’t call it a con but rather a drift from his usual style of film direction. Tokyo Godfathers is a depiction of struggle marinated with the push for realisation: the embodiment of pragmatist situations (not the philosophical kind - more so synonymous to everyday or lay-person type) in this film weigh up the fortune and opportunities against its counterparts via symbolic grandeur that it achieves via importing Christianity’s most glamorous product into the scene; Christmas and one that utilises the very core of that festive symbolism to the very end.
Plot: Premise & Storyline:
The premise of this film is very simple: we follow three homeless individuals who have been in a deserted state for various lengths of time. One of them for a while, the other two for quite some time. They’ve arrived at their current state due to issues that impede their lives from going past their respective obstacles. The one with the shortest time is a youngster, a teen, a runaway while the other two have more unfortunate experiences with where they’ve ended up. The film assesses this and doesn’t delay much to relay that fact. How they go about their lives comes to change on Christmas Eve, the major plot device is introduced into the film quite early. A newborn infant is found abandoned in their search for scavenging food and daily needs via trash: the most bountiful way any homeless person can hope for - I don’t mean this in a derogatory manner but trying to assert a realistic scenario. The infant protrudes the film by submerging in the miracle symbolism that the characters hope to come by as one of the protagonists, Hana expresses their delight in receiving a ‘miracle from God’.
Given how the plot is set around Christmas, it’s almost fair to assume that it projects the three protagonists equivalent to that of the Three Wise Men a.k.a. Biblical Magi. Now I will admit that I’m fairly poor at explaining symbolic allusions to mythological or biblical figures but I’ll try my best to assert the one that this film presents - I’ll discuss this specific part of the film in a different section. The film doesn’t bear itself much weight in fervently exploring the characters individually but overweighs that hole by subjecting their experiences with the livelihood of the infant.
At first, the film situates them in a dilemma on whether they want to keep this ‘miracle’ for themselves or whether they want to return it to its parents. Initially, it supposes that they’re to be heading towards a journey but eventually they make up their mind on returning the baby to its parents. The way this conclusion comes to be is via another plot device that seems to be an entertainment factor in the premise but feels off after its job is pretty done. I say this but there is a counterintuitive execution to this feeling and here’s why: when initially planning to see this film, I thought the setting would be that of a yakuza film. I sure felt something missing when I did start watching through this segment though: you could say this was a way to deceive the viewer in a way unless they were somehow familiar with the reference or inspiration for this film.
Despite my misconception which the film knocks finely, I still thought removing their relevance from the picture felt a bit forced considering how they almost had a leeway into it. The yakuza boss’s relevance was definitely warranted given that the characters receive vital information for the delivering the plot device to its conclusion - I wouldn’t predicate that it feels all that contrived, just a bit out of place.The relevance of the Latino couple doesn’t do much of a better job here either, their presumptuous facet in the film only makes up for Miyuki’s backstory exposition. I don’t mind the way it was depicted, just that something like this didn’t feel ‘necessary’ enough to come by for her to open up.
Hana and Gin’s characters get lightly explored after this point in time, with Hana getting more exposure at first since she arrives at a refuge point in the plot. Hana ends up becoming a minor plot device for Gin to finally get exposed for his lies so far. It’s revealed that Gin did put up a facade for the entirety of the show, for reasons that I’m still a bit confused on- won’t count against the film here. At what seems to be an endpoint for plot, a deceptive execution seeds way for a more nuanced look into our major plot device, being the infant. The last portion of the film expresses a very seething theme to the viewers as it wraps up the conclusion in the fog of another couple’s disturbances, while letting the main cast meet their resolution as well. The Godfathers, taking care of not one but two children - yes, it’s explicitly mentioned that they’re asked to be Kiyoko’s Godfather but in essence, they act as a parent figure for Miyuki for the entire film as well.
I’m hoping that the paragraphs above don’t seem like solely summaries but serve as some ground for how I looked at the film from a constructive standpoint. While it proves to be intriguing, there are some plot points which make the film seem very hard to digest at times. The sudden appearance of Sachiki, while relevant, feels quite unnatural and so does Gin’s encounter with Yasuo. On top of that, very little is touched upon the aftermath of the wedding’s scenario. While that event served a major part of the film’s storyline, it goes completely missing after Miyuki and Kiyoko get kidnapped. I’m aware of Mitsuo’s mention of recovery at the end of the film but, what’s on my mind is the state of the yakuza boss - unless it somehow went through my head. While they weren’t the ‘greatest’ plot device in the film, they did provide the characters a major path towards fulfilling their task. Do they necessarily have to be mentioned later on ? No but, it’d seem a bit realistic to do so. Speaking of realism, the film does have one major moment where realism kind of leaves the scene and that would be when Hana falls with Kiyoko: plot convenience wind just blows in to save the day: though I realise that it was the ‘ideal’ ( i.e. extremely hazardous winter) Christmas weather. If that was the case, then where the heck was its presence in previous events ? ( Maybe I’m just nitpicking here but I feel that there’s a strong need to establish such a feature, even if realistic).
Regardless, I’m not dissatisfied with how they built up the tension in how the baby’s separation went by and how it was reunited. The atmosphere of the film is also akin to typical Satoshi Kon films but with a different vibe that performs in a less ‘absurd’ or ‘drenched’ manner, i.e. an everyday setting with ups and downs society faces even in something as glorifying as Christmas.
Characterisation:
The characters are diverse in their personalities and in some ways, relatable. I wouldn’t say that the film asks you to relate with its characters but rather have you examine their credibility as humans to do the ideal and moral thing in any situation. This follows closely up to the symbolic interpretation of the film as well as its realistic theme. While it’d be appropriate to dub them the ‘Biblical Magi’ of Tokyo, such an entailment would be a bit too ambitious to entail. The title of this film engraves the ‘Godfather’ role to Hana and Gin; I don’t want to deal with the semantics of this part of the film nor do I want to touch upon the identity as much but yes, there maybe could have been some fixes. Miyuki acts more like an older sibling to Kiyoko, so her role in this isn’t as relevant and as I’ve stated in my previous section, Miyuki is also another child that both Hana and Gin take care of, thus making them the godparents of both those two - extensive but seems the most coherent approach.
Hana’s character is pretty unique: her presence as a trans woman isn’t quite focused but it’s not completely untouched either. She had a normal life just like any individual in the cast but was left hanging and incapacitated after losing valuables. She goes through little periods of development, given that she’s an adult. Her role as a parent and a wise ‘man’ - in reference to the symbolism ( not intentionally misgendering her) proves to be the most significant out of the two. She does get the short hand of the stick at times for her identity, yes but I think the director does a fine job of asking us to look at her for what she is as a human, as someone who had a life just like anyone else in society. For the most part, she carries the whole cast on her shoulders and leads it to the very end. Overall, her performance as a character proves to be impeccable.
Gin’s character is disturbing at times and at other times, fruitful to the plot’s progression. His intentions keep being misassessed in the scene and sometimes even covered rapidly. We don’t get to learn the length of his struggles or downfall till we reach the scene at the hospital with his daughter. At one major plot point we almost get to see the full picture of his character but that is soon taken over by a plot device. Regardless, his growth is a bit unsteady and his encounter with the old homeless man as well as Yasuo serves a major twist to it. While he’s not the best of both worlds, he is still a very realistic depiction of the unheard struggles a man drowning in despair goes through.
Miyuki’s character is different considering she is more or less a ‘child’. Her situation is way more different than the other ones. After stabbing her father, she ran away in the hopes of avoiding ‘arrest’ as she puts it. She hasn’t really been ‘homeless’ like the others but her situation isn’t really as ‘good’ either. Her tendencies depict struggles that any teen or adolescent may go through; it doesn’t even have to be as crude as her situation for us to realise such a character. She puts up a fair bit of exposition but is safe to say, underperformed in the film. Her hands don’t often feel heavy to the touch, given most of its weighs on the other two.
Sachiki and Yasuo are depictions of unrest that follow suit in regular conundrums between couples. Their livelihood is shown to be embodied by discourse at the point where their characters intertwine with the rest. Although much of their sentiments remain shallow or postulative, their pertinence serves the plot its associated narrative. I wish a bit more of their presence was explored through or at least touched upon, seeming that they were heavily involved in the placement of Kiyoko - infant.
Theme & Symbolism:
As mentioned in previous sections, this film has a heavy emphasis on Christian symbolism. Such is made apparent at the very start of the film but, I solely wish to narrow my focus to one specific symbolism, that being Jesus and the Biblical Magi.
I don’t want to make any far-fetched connections but these are the relations that popped in my mind. In regards to the gifts that the Wises Men bestow upon Baby Jesus, there are typically mentions of three gifts: gold, myrrh, and frankincense. The symbolism differs from account to account but for now, I’ll just stick to one. In general, those gifts are often symbolized to contain the following meaning: gold as in virtue, myrrh as in suffering/mortality, and frankincense as in prayer.
It’s definitely delicate to assign the symbolism to each of our characters here but I’d definitely agree that Hana’s character represents prayer i.e. frankincense since she’s the only person who looks upon the abandoned newborn as a ‘miracle’ or ‘pure child’. The reason as to why I say it’s delicate is because Gin is a smoker, so assigning him frankincense could have made sense as well but it would be symbolically inappropriate. This assignment will be more conjectural since it’s hard to distinguish virtue and mortality between Gin and Miyuki.
While Gin does show us his fair bit of past to justify his symbolism of virtue, he also comes to terms with accepting life’s most complex situations and calling it a day. On the other hand, Miyuki’s reason for being on the streets is one directly related to mortality since her previous deeds almost renders someone clinging on to this mortal plane. However her journey in the film is to come to terms with her misdemeanor but I can fairly conclude that Gin is very well off in being placed with gold since he was in debt - not to mention that he also receives winning lottery tickets from that old homeless man, and Miyuki with myrrh.
As for the infant, there needs not much explanation since her symbolism as the ‘pure child’ is a loud allusion to the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve. Throughout the film, these Biblical Magi journey forth to bring the gifts they represent and manifest within the baby, since its life is a summation of all those symbols at the very end. The myrrh might as well be associated with the couple who set up the plot in the first place.
The very symbolism this film endows expresses the theme of humanism, purity, and bounty. The film often has a heavy emphasis on these themes over and over. The plot pretty much is a 2nd chance or redemption for the cast to prove their humanity to the audience as much; however, I don’t go without saying that they’re at fault for ending up on the streets. The service of being human is one that comes around in essence and with this film we see nothing different come from these deeds. Apart from the baby, everyone else in the film is sentient and from a Juedo-Christian perspective ‘sinful’ creatures.
The atmosphere goes hand in hand with the film in trying to convey that life’s contents won’t always be in the most ideal situation but, it’s best to make the most out of it despite past events. The film’s take on making humanistic realism adamant drives through and makes a very fitting point for the audience. Such is the rich and profound message that our madman, Satoshi Kon conveys to his audience.
Sound:
There is very little to discuss in this section, given that I lack the ability to assess sound and artwork properly. The sounds of this film are attuned to feel natural in order to benefit its realistic setting. Sometimes, it may feel out of hand every scene here and there but they’re not enough to disturb the viewership experience by any means.
The choice of soundtrack for a film went just as much as I expected it to. The opening serves quite a worthy introduction of telling us that the setting is Christmas, thus atmospherically pumping the viewer up for what’s about to come.
At most dramatic moments, themes like ‘Ode to Joy’ are railed to feel that classic bit of hype that any viewer wishes to hear and to keep things quite familiar.
Overall, I can’t say there’s much to critique here since the rest of the soundtracks just as much suit if not more.
Animation & Art Style:
Despite being nearly 18 years old, the art style still feels impressive. The dating certainly has worn down a bit of the style that goes into it but since it leaves the classic impression of a Satoshi Kon film, aging becomes barely a matter in our hands. The art style is very simple and the animation tests through very well. It stands very well to today’s standards but of course, some tweaks and necessary adjustments will need to impale in order to age well. It’s necessary to note that I didn’t watch the remastered version of this film, rather the original one. I’m not sure if my opinion will bear as much weight here as it will for the remastered version. That’s pretty much my boggled down 2 cents on the animation and art style.
Conclusion:
Tokyo Godfather is quite an ambitious undertaking on professing what needs to be done as humans but is also a take on the struggles that weigh on as one too. The film’s realism counters this very ideal to the core and makes well and exemplary symbolism and thematic disparities between it. It’s a film that could have handled its plot points a bit more efficiently rather than allowing it to drown in some unnecessary demeanors but regardless, it’s a classic that will heap realism and humanism from the dining room and throw it at you to give you a bittersweet reality check.
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Feb 6, 2021
Tokyo Godfathers
(Anime)
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The following is posed to be a subjective review without any intent of inputting constructive insight. Despite my lack of intent, I’ll try my best to thoroughly examine the film as constructively as possible. Expect an update to this review after I visit more Satoshi Kon titles. At the time of this writing, I’ve only watched Perfect Blue & Millennium Actress. I wouldn’t count my experience with Paprika since I viewed that film once and that too when I was very young. A revisit of that film shall be in place soon as well.
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Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 1, 2021 Not Recommended
The following is posed to be a subjective constructive review of the 2nd Part of the 3rd Season of Attack on Titan. This review has been written around 2 weeks after finishing the 2nd part and thus will follow with vivid articulation of the premise and its categorisation. At the time of writing this review, it’s paramount to note that I watched the 1st season of Attack on Titan almost 7 years ago; therefore, I will avoid trying to make any grand connotation to the 1st season. Naturally, I might update this review should the consideration to re-watch Season 1 strikes me.
Before you delve ... any further into this review, I must sign some precautionary advices for you readers:- -I will be discussing spoilers, so go back and complete Season 3 Part 2 if you haven’t yet. -This review is perceptually my own and shouldn’t necessarily convince or influence your point of view, if it does I’m in no way directly liable for it. -I won’t be summarising any part of the story, whatever events I bring up will be solely utilised for the sake of analyses or dissection. -This review is most likely going to be negative so beware of that before you read any further. If you’re a diehard SNK/AOT fan, this will very likely affect your amygdala and cause you to go into defensive mode. I will not be using any sort of profanity to drive my point but I’ll try my best to scrutinize as much as humanly possible. -I don’t think Hajime Isayama is a bad mangaka, he’s quite talented. I just happen to not be enthralled by his execution. For that matter, if I’m criticising the animation or sound, I’m not necessarily stating that the production team is necessarily uninspired but rather in a pull-push situation where they could have made better tweaks. -You’re free to respond to this or any of my reviews via this link. My only request for you would be to remain cordial. -If my review somehow matches with someone else’s, know that it’s just a coincidence and has nothing to do with me. They just happen to have a similar viewpoint, that’s all. With all those warnings put up, it’s time to delve into the review. Have fun and thank you for reading ! Introduction: Attack on Titan is a medium that comes from a genre which appeals to audiences that fall between adolescence and post-adolescence(Reddit is definitely not a valid source, neither is this survey but, it serves as a decent conjectural highlight - besides being 6 years old). Survival between humans and other species isn’t a setting that’s anything new in the field of entertainment but Attack on Titan does slightly innovate itself by invoking the ‘David vs Goliath’ trope. Similar to survival horror games, the premise of Attack on Titan follows a background of hoarding monsters that feed on the cast like there’s no tomorrow - at least that’s how one would explain it to someone who hasn’t watched the series. This is a fine way of explaining the background albeit a bit on the edgy and mainstream side. The other element that is rampantly present within the setting is its counter, which is of course the military. Keeping in mind that the military is often a toying part of every survival horror series, their fate here isn’t begged to be much different. In fact, it follows a lot of the same types of conclusions when taking a closer look. What makes Attack on Titan stand out is its political paradigm, which is often emphasized throughout the entire series. The influence of politics in Attack on Titan is very significant and the last 3 seasons ( rather 2 seasons and 1 part) have done a lot to highlight that fact. But has this season lived up to that continuum ? Yes, it has and it continues to do so. It excels in presenting that element very well. If that were to be its only soft point, maybe this review would have been a lot more lenient but as seen, such isn’t the case. The centre of this part has been to reclaim the throne and glory - i.e. central point of story it left back in Season 1- I did say I wouldn’t touch upon Season 1; however, rest assured that this is the only time I’ll bring it up. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 establishes a progression in its plot with the intention of serving a better world-building storyline but assassinates a lot of its core dwelling tropes and elements with contrivances in order to make up for its plot convenient narrative; it tries real hard to create a tragedy out of its characters but at best, makes their presence superfluous or substitutes their shining armour for trying to set up a grander narrative. Plot: Storyline & Premise: The best way to possibly explain the trampoline that Attack on Titan is jumping on is by referring to the 20th century horror classic, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley. Without explaining the story much, I’ll dive right into my parallels with Attack on Titan. Frankenstein’s central theme, as argued by many academics, happens to be the ‘tabula rasa’, coined by Enlightenment English philosopher, John Locke. Tabula Rasa is the notion that a being’s mind isn’t preconceived or predetermined but rather starts off like a ‘clean slate’ as referred to by most philosophers before Locke came to coin the term. So you may be asking, how is this relevant to Attack on Titan ? Attack on Titan isn’t the only medium where such a theme is posited, it’s in fact a renown theme that you’ll find in lots of anime mediums as well. Attack on Titan strikes down on this theme pretty well by setting up its ‘grander narrative’ but when all’s said and done, Attack on Titan doesn’t handle it as well as one would expect it to. For that matter, Frankenstein doesn’t do the best job of handling it either but the parallel to be drawn from both are the prejudices that both the monster ‘Frankenstein’ and the ‘Titans/Eldians’ face in their respective stories. Are Titans really innately evil ? Are Berthold, Annie, Reiner, and Zeke’s motives justified ? This season answers all that in a nutshell by the very end. It can be conjecturally postulated that Attack on Titan doesn’t seem to agree with Locke’s theorisation as much as it should. No one should really be blamed for trying to write stories where anti-fatalism is a strong theme; in general, it’s hard to write stories without any form of deterministic offset. The very fact that a writer writes is enough evidence to suggest a deterministic outcome; however, a display of the theme is another topic and in this regard, Attack on Titan doesn’t hold a very consistent ground of the theme. The cellar/basement revelation holds itself as evident for it, given how strongly it encourages a storm back to its chosen land, will, and being. The ostracized past that Eldians went through won’t serve any medium-rare steak to them after all. Through characterisation, Isayama tries to evoke the question of the Titan’s innocence yet when the revelation plays out, the innocence seems irrelevant altogether. It’s simply ‘kill or be killed’. It leaves no room for the theme to expand any further other than perhaps trying to mingle it with the incumbent progress of the story - in which case, it’ll have to explain a lot of hurdles in order to make up for it, should it actually attempt to traverse that far. Ideally, it’s expected to but the way it’s going on now, it’ll definitely appear contrived. The initial setup of this season seems quite great from a bird’s eye point-of-view. You have pretty much what’s left of the highlighted cast going back to Shiganshina District. I will be honest in saying that I totally expected the story to roll this way and, I didn’t mind a single bit of that prediction. In essence, that would be the least of my worries. Given how this was an arc where we should have been handed some developments, huge portions of it remain amiss. It’s pretty much expected for military genre based series to have multiple and meaningless deaths here and there, Attack on Titan doesn’t do much different or does it ? That’s where the issue lies, it does which simulates a fortitude that isn’t developed enough to strike the plot progression. First off, sacrificing a good amount of the side characters for the motive or move of a main character doesn’t supply them with characterisation, it’s simply them shining in their essential breath. The character I’m speaking of is Erwin of course. While I liked how he sacrificed himself and his subordinates for the sake of the main cast, perhaps substituting his glory for another time would have been appropriate. I’m not by any means fangasming over him, I’m simply saying that wasting his death in this Season was uncalled for and solely a result of plot armour, nothing more. The contrast in this regard comes with the characterisation of Armin. The writing didn’t give Levi a well enough reason to not inject Erwin with the Titan fluid, it was simply an assumption Levi ran off of - even if Erwin refused it. Erwin’s refusal was definitely appropriate but Levi’s decision was still rash and illustrated poorly. The major issue of this part comes from how the fights carry out in Shiganshina District; don’t get me wrong when it comes to making antagonists overpowered. That is a fine and decent way to develop your protagonist and a good setup as well. That is a remark that can be attributed to any series really. While this part could have been a showstopper due to its setup for major fights, it neutralises the consequences of it poorly. Reiner’s initial defeat is quite warranted given how long Eren prepared himself for that battle. The inconceivable power of Beast Titan was overwhelming enough to facilitate the casualties but given how thick the Ackerman plot armour is, Isayama could have milked Levi further without the need for Erwin to intervene since Levi pretty much always gets a guaranteed win. Armin’s sacrifice was surely a peak point in the season and something everyone can appreciate from the series: in fact, the highlight of this part has been mainly Erwin and Armin. Erwin’s convictions painfully glamourized his death while Armin’s willingness to step away from his hesitation and taking command of the Survey Corps leads to a very decent progression of the military setting of the series. This is the kind of progression one loves to see from this series but sadly, it’s not enough to overpower the other flaws. As for Eren and Mikasa, there’s not much to highlight in the first part. While Eren gets his spotlight during the fight with Reiner and at the revelation, Mikasa has remained as bland as she has been for most of the series, it’s like she exists solely to babysit Eren whenever she gets the chance. While Berthold meets his lackluster unwarranted end at the hands of Armin, Zeke serves to live another day with Reiner. And it’s all thanks to……………………………….. Ah yes ! Mouthful Pinocchio with Invisible Armour Titan - Plot Armour of course. Cart Titan has to be one of the weakest plot devices I’ve ever witnessed. At first I thought Reiner’s consciousness transference plot device was bad enough but Cart Titan came to serve him another plot device. Reiner’s relevance slightly shines in later seasons but the fact that he was almost dead is excruciating to express even now. On top of that, Zeke almost meets his end but gets hing fangled by the Cart Titan. Yes, some could say that this is a brilliant way to stretch the relevance of their characters but what's the point of setting them up in this season if all the storyline had to do was get the revelation from the basement ? Like seriously, Isayama could have avoided this arc altogether and the series would still have been able to progress on a linear note. The battle was simply meaningless for this part, all it did was simulate an excuse for fight scenes. The relevance of Part 2 is mostly contrived, very contrived. I can’t even express how painstakingly forced this part was but to that extent, it at least tries to highlight some of its ‘submission’. Even then, it’s very delicate to ignore how this whole arc could have been much shorter and minimised. The worst part is what little intrigue they evoked simply vanishes the moment you learn the truth behind the Titans’ existence. I don’t have much of any complaints about the revelations apart from the fact that it’s simply another thematic mess and, if you haven’t read the 1st paragraph of this subsection then I urge you to go back and read that. That will convey my raw thoughts on the revelation. Despite Part 2’s short comings, I expect Season 4 to deliver what it has on its palette. There is still time for redemption and, I hope Isayama has used it to cover up for those illy executed plot devices. Characterisation: As discussed in the previous subsection, this part has been a grand highlight of primarily two characters: Armin & Erwin. While Eren’s characterisation has been set up in this season, it wasn’t executed so I can’t touch upon his characterisation as much as I would like to but, he probably needed some development for the event leading up to Levi’s Dilemma. On that note, Levi’s Dilemma perhaps highlights the Ackerman trait a bit, albeit it would be disregarded as simply a human dilemma. Throughout this arc, again and again Isayama illustrates how much of a zombie Levi is and leaves no room to iterate that resonance through its entirety. An e.g. would be when Levi asks Erwin to give up his dreams for the sake of the main cast. While some would say that this is a strong representation of the Ackerman clan, others might clay together the opinion that Levi is simply an archetypal representation of the Ruler. While Levi himself doesn’t appear suitable enough to be a ruler, he illustrates his conviction towards law & order time and time again. Armin’s characterisation is depicted largely through his command of the Survey Corps and his ability to strategize in the midst of battle; while at times hesitant, he is quick to come up with decisions that ultimately maximizes the danger to safety ratio for his squad’s scenarios or situations. The first highlight of his brilliance is displayed when he reveals Reiner’s location at the beginning of the fight: the art of deduction runs well in him and it can be argued that such is a setup for his future role as the commander. It’s easy to see why he gets contrasted with Erwin in this arc as his bravery at the very end to Berthold triumphantly turns the battle around for the Survey Corps. This peak moment in the season is a display of what Isayama’s hand can do when he puts some mind to it. Erwin, the other of his brilliantly written characters comes to display but ends up in an unpleasant tragedy. Erwin perhaps takes the most devastating decision in this season overall. The border between his dreams and his liability as a commander to lead his squad into triumph truly illustrates the conduct his character is supposed to play. While leaving a good portion of the initiation to Armin, he still has to rush for a decision against the rest of the adversaries and when he does take the dire decision, his character stumbles yet knows what to overtake. Although Armin may have made the decision to solely sacrifice himself for a friend, Erwin’s utilitarian decision to decoy Zeke so that Levi can flank ultimately puts himself in a stable that is not worthy of anyone else’s taking. It’s a fair representation of how hard decisions are in a battlefield and Erwin warrants that extremely well. Eren’s characterisation rests and meanders solely in the revelation for now, it can’t be discussed as much here since it leads to spoilers for the following season. However, his place in this season as expected was relevant along with most of the cast but his character barely develops through the first half, the 2nd half gives way to his character to learn more about the history of the series. It’s through his characterisation that the audience learns much about the world outside. In that regard, his characterisation is decent. The only character I can’t say much about would be Mikasa since her role as iterated in the previous subsection, is solely to babysit Eren, that’s it. Her role isn’t prioritised in any other vein or form. She might as well be irrelevant other than that. The most stagnant characters however, were Jean, Connie, and Sasha. Their roles have been and always seems to be in the preservation of side characters and chess board pawns, they help out with the main cast’s plans and execute it, then viola, they’re done ! Hange, being a commander doesn’t need much highlighting since their characterisation is directly tied in with Armin’s & Erwin’s. Their character probably should have ended in this arc but like most things, it would have still been unjustified. For the cast of the antagonists, there isn’t much to say here other than how badly they were utilised. Yes, it’s true that Reiner as a character has some depth and so does Zeke but their place within the storyline isn’t as well executed, making them old rusted cookie cutters. As mentioned in my Plot subsection, their relevance in this season was quite unwarranted, it in fact didn’t have any place. But if I were to dedicate that line even now, it would be a bit contradictory considering that they did aid in giving those major characters a boost. Now, for some honourable mentions who won’t be discussed for obvious reasons: Cart Titan, Titan Injection, Reiner’s Consciousness Transfer, Zeke’s Hierarchy Of Survival Tips Animation: I’m not very good at judging animation or art style, so you’ll have to bear with me for this one and the next. It seems as if the quality of Attack on Titan’s animation gets worse each Season. Apart from the mention of the character stickers pasting on to the background, the showstopper has to be the C.G.I. Horses and Colossus Steak. My god, I laughed so hard when I equated Colossus Titan to a Steak, that must have been one of my worst thought out jokes of this year so far. Given merit where it deserves, the art style is definitely decent and you won’t find me complaining too much about it. It’s not terrible but it’s not great either, that’s all that you’ll read from me in regards to its visuals. Sound: Again, I’m not a good judge of this either, I tend to leave this for last since it doesn’t pique my interest as much. OSTs are a bonus for any series, in my humble opinion. I typically don’t count them up against any anime. With that being said, the soundtrack of this season so far has been pretty repetitive and at times, tedious. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Sawano. I love everything he composes but come on, don’t recreate the same opening from the first season. That kind of says that Sawano doesn’t want us to experience his creation to its fullest extent, instead he teases us with some iterations. I don’t mind his stuff but this season’s OST hasn’t been much thrilling. Apart from that, I don’t have much to say in regards to the sound quality, it’s quite decent at the very least. Conclusion: To sum it all up, Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 is a wasted effort on a storyline that could have been avoided for more innovative paths or takes. The resolution was met but the cost for it was abhorrent writing. While the arc itself is a poor one, some of the setups such as the revelation and Armin’s revival bear some fruit on what can be expected in the next season. This part undermines Attack on Titan and degrades it to perhaps its lowest point ever. Should such a progression path be taken again, it may as well put an end to the series’ list of potentials. In conclusion, this is the worst arc of the series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Aug 22, 2020
Fate/Extra: Last Encore
(Anime)
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Not Recommended
2020 Summer Review Challenge
Introduction: To keep things simple & straight, this review is part of a challenge I’m doing with my friend. Without the conditioning of this challenge, I might as well have dropped this anime for good. However, despite all ill ends or vices, I’ll give this anime the fair share of perspective it deserves. The review will remain subjective until the very end & will contain minor spoilers. Fate/Extra Last Encore is a fantastic battle royale for a show but, what’s so devious about it ? Is it the slow-paced projection of a plot it offers, is it the generic characterisation, or perhaps the atypical animation ... associated with Fate (Ufotable) ? Rest assured as I try my best to dissect the core issue or dynamic of Fate/Extra Last Encore. Keep in mind that I won’t be summarising or giving any form of synopsis. You can do that on your own. P.S. I'm not a VN reader or Fate series gamer, so my knowledge of this series is from this adaptation alone. Plot/Premise: It’s fair to assess that Last Encore’s plot isn’t so much missing as it is clustered. The first 4 episodes try to balance the audience with its introduction to the story vs. settling down with the premise. Carrying our characters around through different repetitions or memories seems very fetterd at the very least; there is pertinence in every bit of the shells they explore through each episode. The fables are frantically present in every scene of the setting: nothing can deny such gruesome worries in a battle royale. A romanticist mix between .Hack & Fate, it appears. I wouldn’t proclaim that I dismay the idea but, the innovation with it lacks in just being ‘generic’. A virtual world may actually seem like the perfect setting to execute Fate’s beloved core element and, there’s no jest about it not shining well. Every pace of the anime expects you to be hyped up for this one crucial deus-ex-machina conclusion. Now, this isn’t the first time Fate does this but, I’m quite astonished at how cliche their attempt was. With its sibling, Zero, it managed to spark up the element well enough to hinder no indication of an ‘arsepull’. While here, in this commuted title, all they seemed to recognise is the fact that there is no ‘other’ way to solve this plot’s trope ? Then guess what? Throw down a typical antagonist whose motives are so generic that even the word ‘generic’ would throw its brain away & die of a cringe fest. Let this con not distract you from the fact that there are subtle moments within the anime, where you could ignore this trope completely & be well contented. Also, the lack of a proper lore or backstory in this title won’t make much of a difference, since the virtual reality setting is pretty much an off-giver of the mess that Garden of Sinner makes. Yes, it’s paramount to note some of its lore ties to the unrelated Nasu title: it’s needed to comprehend one of the unexplained elements that the anime throws at you later on. It’s hard to assess both the first 10 episodes & the last 3 together; however, I’m heavily disappointed in the potential it wasted. That doesn’t excuse the snail paced introduction the audience gets neither the grandiose fights this show awes you with. Characterisation: Strongest part of this anime so far; but not necessarily ‘good’. Protagonist and his servant manage to perform as expected, without being any form of irritation to the screen. Recurring characters are unsurprisingly still a chore. How, you ask ? Imagine asking a crow to deliver your love letter. Either it’ll eat it for dinner or deliver a half torn letter to the wrong person. I’m not sure if jesting about the depth of characterisation is worth it for this review; however, I’ll remark on the dynamic of the duo that is Saber & Hakuno. Their development is quite profoundly put ‘as fresh as a stale bread’. While it’s edible, it’s by no means fresh; you still have to throw it into the bin. The bread needs to be remade in order to suffice the tongues of the guests. Hakuno’s oblivious personality or amnesia isn’t a strong suit here, neither is his ambiguous history. Saber’s personality is grounded but not well suited - or it could be that my taste is a bit different (though not superior or inferior). Some could appreciate this Saber and so could I but, given the fact that this show spoils the bread enough already, it feels like another chore to spare. Much of the other characters make striking appearances with their thematic pertinence to the setting & deliver their part; decent but not solid. I surely could speak miles about the ‘wonderland’ arc but, I wouldn’t want to bother another paragraph, significant or not. I’ll just say that it’s my favourite. There is much to be recognised through that arc’s characterisation, which would have been a fine contribution had it marked itself rigorously much earlier on. Soundtrack: I’ve no complaints about the soundtrack, it’s your typical Fate experience - even if not Kaijura. It blends well with the fights & the scenes. Discussing or reviewing soundtracks isn’t really my strong suit; though, my insight on it really counts when it’s grandiose or bland. As for this show, it wasn’t really either, it was only bearable & listenable enough for my ears - something which I always appreciate. The opening & ending are remarkable, to say the least. However, sound design could surely improve in 1 or 2 areas. Animation: It’s more of a matter of taste here. Being spoiled by Ufotable, it’s hard to digest a Fate series by Deen or any other studio. While it’s not bad, it just leaves this ‘not Fate’ vibe in the back of my mind. The art style is decent if not to my liking & the animation is lukewarm. The fight scenes could see better days. The backgrounds are amusing and much wondered in colour. I like this element of the show but, there’s just this awful aftertaste that I can’t seem to get rid of. Conclusion: As apparent by this review, my insight of Fate/Extra is very monotonous given how dull the anime looks at first glance. It’s not something anyone can enjoy - even if a Nasu Tard. It takes much commitment & fangasm to appreciate this series. It’s not necessary to watch this show, so it’s not by any means recommended either. The last 3 episodes can step on my palate though - despite having a cringey antagonist. A remarkably mediocre hazard.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 19, 2020
Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
WARNING:
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS SUBJECTIVE AND MAY OR MAY NOT OFFEND YOU. THIS SO CALLED "REVIEW" MAY HAVE A FEW SPOILERS SO BE WARNED. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, IF I FIND A FAULT WITH MY REVIEW I WILL EDIT & CHANGE IT. NOTE: YOU ARE FREE TO CRITICISE ME OR, SUGGEST HOW I SHOULD REVIEW IN THE FUTURE Introduction:- I have to put this out clearly before delving into the meat of this review, I’m not the biggest fan of slice of life or dramatised anime shows or movies but, I appreciate magical realism wherever portrayed - exception being Studio Ghibli (though I despise Whisper of ... The Heart). That being said, this show specifically made a solid attempt to compromise its slice of life element with that specific motif. It tries to lay a solid ground for the storyline with its central Coming of Age premise. Does it succeed at it ? Does it fail ? Is it worth watching? Let’s dig in. PLOT: Storyline & Premise: The storyline begins off with a very vibrant tone, pulling you in with an everyday realistic protagonist. The context in this case being that the movie draws you in from a very shoujo lens, albeit with strong magical realism. The build up of the storyline is very generic but solidly done. It relies on a strong avant-garde type of slice of life performances but tries to subdue the audience by relying on an other-wordly Ghibli-esque vibe. The real question that begs though: was this form of realism necessary for the conclusion ? There are 2 answers that can be thought for this. One being that this is just a metaphorical or imagerical depiction of their mental states, states of these two young-uns who are both in the Coming of Age phase. They’re both struggling to understand and be understood by their environment. In order to escape this very burden, magical realism is brought to the forefront of their scope. The other answer is that this was a cheap usage of realism as it posits no interesting or different outcome for these young-uns. The story could have reached the same conclusion without relying on magical realism but still decides to implement it since it’s a strong exhibitor to attract the audience. To further explore this claim, the cat personifications were somewhat unnecessary to begin with. The conclusion was delivered from the strong foundation it had drawn from the slice of life premise and not the magical realistic one. In this notation, it mostly fails with the latter element and solidly excels in the former. Maybe for ¼ of the movie’s duration it served some purpose but afore that, it appears to be only beautiful in presentation yet superfluous with the storyline. Overall, the build-up was fine but could have had some better ground. The Coming of Age Romance wasn’t perfect but it works anyway. There is one similarity that was begging to be drawn from a Coming of Age standpoint, there is a parallel to be drawn from the main protagonist of this movie to the main protagonist of Koe No Katachi ( A Silent Voice). The film makes it apparent from the beginning that this show makes a wild effort to rectify her view of other people. She sees them as scarecrows while the protagonist of Koe No Katachi sees other people without eyes- crossed bandages on people’s eyes. The parallel is….one of them made a great use of that premise while the other completely forgot about it by the end. Characterisation: This is where the issues start to build up one by one. The protagonist’s point of view is fine and is done skewardly. Lot of the focus of the premise is centred around her and that is completely understandable. But the one mistake that the directors made was dodging the protagonist’s love interest about mid-way through. They were doing a fine job exploring both of these major characters until about 1 hours 10 minutes into the movie, where all his relevance just completely fades away and the narrative completely loses sight of how his relevance is tied with the main protagonist. This isn’t suggesting that they didn’t present the bond in an ill manner, the suggestion that is being drawn here is a facet: there was another side of the protagonist which the film protrudes throughout half of the movie then completely forgets about it. It’s completely comprehensive that this is coming from a shoujo standpoint but the complaint isn’t solely about the love interest either. The protagonist’s mother is slightly hinted at as well but then left off for good - there is a good reason for her to be relevant to the premise and storyline by that point. Also, they do the same thing with the step-mother who too was explored very well for a certain period of time. The point is don’t make 2nd dimensional characters seem 3rd dimensional, then fly em off to the 1st dimension and, don’t throw 3rd dimensional characters down the 2nd dimensional lens either. The exploration for the main protagonist deals pretty well; however, like the issue with the premise it could have perhaps taken a more avant-garde lens rather than generic. Nevertheless, the characterisation was well presented. Animation & Art Style: The art style isn’t really impressive when it comes to the drawing of the human characters but it manages to do fine in other areas such as animals and background scenes. The characters look very simplistic, adding a very 2 dimensional feel to the scenes, not really blending well with the background. On the other hand, the animation is fantastic. It could use perhaps a bit of refinement but the film looks gorgeous overall. It drives magical realism to the screen and will surely make you utter the name of the theme itself. There are some moments in the film though, where the character designs tend to shine but there’s also this downgrade of excessive brightness in every other scene. Soundtrack & OST: There isn’t much to say about the soundtracks themselves. They’re very typical slice of life blending soundtracks, some of them are memorable to the core while others just drift past your ears. Maybe it swayed past mine a lot but props to then ending theme. There isn’t much to relay in this section since I’m still an amateur when it comes to analyzing film/anime sound design. The sound design in this case feels natural and attunes to the scenes and animation, nothing spectacular but it’s enough to keep the film running and make a beautiful set out of it. Conclusion: Quite a relaxing watch but not much of a game changer. If you’re into cats, this film does a mediocre job of implementing that through its premise; however, if you want to sit back and enjoy some everyday slice of life with some Ghibli-esque attempt at turning your eyes a bit towards the scenery, feel free to watch A Whisker Away. Very dodgy characterisation, familiar and okay plot, okay animation & okay soundtrack. It’s a film that deserves at least one watch. VERDICT: 5.8/10 WATCH IT WHEN YOU’RE BORED !
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 14, 2020
Kaze no Stigma
(Anime)
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Not Recommended
I just finished watching what was perhaps one of my most anticipated shonen battle series during my childhood. My expectations were raised pretty high for this show; I was expecting something equivalent to A Certain Magical Index or Kenichi - both of which are decent shows with their own set of flaws but pretty enjoyable.
I was rather met with an extreme amount of disappointment. Never in my entire lifetime did I ever think that Kaze no Stigma would be a source of it. NOTE : This review isn't dictating other's take on the show but my own, so feel free to point out any flaws in ... my review if you wish to. Criticism is always welcome and appreciated on my profile. Introduction: I can't tell you how painful it was to watch this series. This is perhaps a minor e.g. of why I avoid watching shonen anime, be they short or long. Of course, not every shonen falls short of its premise but this specific show just couldn't live up to the pace of the plot. For those who don't feel like reading the whole review. Here's your... TL;DR & Verdict - Kaze no Stigma stands up as a unique shonen battle series but fails to make most of its premise or release any of its compressed potential. With a lack of proper characters to direct the cast of protagonists and a lack of a properly inducted villain, it's a mixed bag of mostly rotten strawberries with 3 or 4 edible ones. REVIEW WILL CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS (So BEWARE ) :) ! This series failed with its execution and tried too hard to cover it by introducing new characters to the scene followed by a slow pace with it. The cliffhanger that it leaves with doesn't really help recover it from the mess it creates initially. The biggest mistake would be introducing Catherine and the setup that was poorly built to introduce the villain. Review will consist of 5 sections: -Characterisation & Plot -Theme -Literary -Animation/Fights -Soundtrack Characterisation & Plot :- The plot surrounds a protagonist who had some complications with the hierarchy of his family and inheriting a specific super-power , which in many cases thickens the plot and character of the protagonist to be set already. Not in this case because our protagonist is set to appear as more of an anti-hero with a pink haired nuisance, who's perhaps the least annoying pink haired character - lmao, right. Follow that with the protagonist's younger brother who almost seems to be the perfect fit for the show itself but is caped by the narrative surrounding his brother - in fact they try to make it so apparent that he's going to fit his brother's bill too ( one specific plot device- let's call this plot device 'The Lover's Tie' - and an interesting one at that tries to debate that against his brother). Cough Cough The protagonist is obviously overpowered but by another plot device, a semi sort of deus ex machina, one could predicate. Leaving them aside, the other characters don't seem to be all that well explored either. Between episodes 13-19, the writers come up with a brilliant idea to present a typical caricature of a character which is cringe at the worst, if not unfunny. The villain is barely memorable and is only indirectly covered through the last quarter of the series, not well explored at all. The pandemonium games didn't really make any effort to bring any sense of justice to the premise or the plot; the setup looked so filler-esque and superfluous that I started wondering if I was having an ADHD episode. It's quite a shame because I was actually growing a bit of an intrigue in this ambiguously framed character. The only foreshadowing of the villain's appearance you'll find is through the protagonist's seemingly inauthentic plot device( yet again, The Lover's Tie) - even that doesn't tell you jack shit about the villain, anyway. Ayano needs to go though - I seriously don't get why every pink haired ends up being an eyesore no matter how hard I try to like them. Theme: The thematic part of this series is vague and unexplored at best, given that there's no clear distinction in the events to justify the presence of one other than your typical shonen tribunals. Yet again, this is because of its inconsistent storyline. There is much more to learned from Kazuma's character, given that his hatred for the polar opposite organisation is implemented to be a justified true belief; I wouldn't want to juxtapose it with the cliffhanger, since that seems more of an off shoot to do so - given that there is continuity afterwards but it also can't aid in grounding the basic frame of his character. One prominent theme that runs fairly well in this anime is the idea that one shouldn't dictate their fate upon the events of the past - again, this is just sitting there in hope of developing Kazuma's character. The only setback would be it doesn't flow well with the villain's heinous last ditch appearance, along with his subordinate ( who's supposed to be very relevant to Kazuma and, a part of the cliffhanger actually leaves the audience with a gaping moment). Another theme that the last arc tried to prevail would be 'Playing God', yet again this is fine for a shonen series but, KnS only throws a build-up that completely butchers the pertinent side character and its pertinence to the theme. The villain on the other hand barely has much to offer to that theme itself and is best described as the 'Acting God' himself. I dig the theme and, I believe I would have loved it if they tried to uncap some of the potential that was initially expressed in the beginning of the series; that way, this show would have been decent enough experience. Literary ( how well are the literary elements executed): I really loved how the series started off with a couple of common plot devices, such as deus ex machina and 'The Lover's Tie'. I don't have any complaints with it but, I'd have really appreciated it if they didn't iterate the latter plot device in another one of its main cast. I mentioned about that specific event in my Plot/Characterisation section. While that arc was surely decent and one could have predicted the event from miles away, I'm not sure if using that plot device was a good idea, since it becomes apparent later on that the main protagonist pretty suffers from a similar fate. Flashbacks were done pretty well, I must say. No complaints on that, they helped foreshadow the coming of the villain anyway. So props for that. Satirically, the show feels very pushy with its comedy at times but is fairly well at delivering the comedy for a teen audience- it wasn't too funny for someone like me. The jokes get pretty cliche and the worst satirical element of the show was Catherine's caricature of a character. I have no issues with portraying foreigners in a satirical manner but, if anything Catherine's appearance attributes more to someone who time traveled around a century earlier, got fed some crap about superiority complex and then drained down to the 21st century. While it is a fine try, it's indeed a failed one. Animation/Fights:- Now, the fights in this anime were actually pretty good if I'm being honest; there's nothing innovative about it but, they seem to be animated pretty fine. Less calling names and more action, fair enough. The scenes in general have some sort of life in them and are far from being called 'monotonous'. Soundtrack: I'm going to be honest. One of the only reasons I wanted to watch Kaze No Stigma is because of its appealing soundtrack. I swear, it's the kind that seems from a pre-20th century cyberpunk garage type stuff but is escalated with a mellow tune. I totally dig it and would love more of it. Rating Agenda:- Plot: 5/10 Characterisation: 6/10 Animation: 6/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Personal Enjoyment: 4/10 ( not counted in the overall score) Concept Execution: 5/10 Theme and Literary Exposition: 3/10. Verdict: 4.9/10 If you've taken the time to actually read through my review, you have my eternal gratitude :D. Feel free to give me negative or positive feedback on my writing and if I could have written it in any different format or manner. Thank you !
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jan 21, 2019
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
First thing's first, I've been a huge Dragon Ball fan ever since I was a toddler. That thing was straight up my childhood, so any time I watch or read a single content of Dragon Ball, the only enjoyment I get from it is based on my reminiscence.
As I grew up, I, like a lot of other Dragon Ball fans realised the pacing and story writing that went into Dragon Ball in the first place. It was obviously not the best, but that won't stop me from watching another episode or movie, or reading another chapter of Dragon Ball. I'll get done with my ... back story here and get straight to the point. *IT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. SO BE WEARY, PLEASE* Story/Characters: 6/10 In all honesty, the only relatively profound element that'd be the closest bet to a story within the entire movie would be the Planet Vegeta incident. Sure, they changed and manipulated the backstory a bit and added some new scenes that we've never caught a glimpse of, like finally introducing Goku and Raditz's mother, Gine and formulating a new version of Broly's exile, and a more conscious & emotional version of Goku's departure. I must say that the backstory was actually one of the only times I've felt much emotion for the characters in Dragon Ball, other than History Of Trunks. The rest of the movie was basically another Frieza formula where f(x) is Frieza and Broly was being pushed to be the x in Frieza's formula. Frieza merely has much of any relevance left within the Dragon Ball franchise, his recycling is getting so cliche that it's not even exciting or funny anymore. To add in Frieza to this movie was a weak plot device, and thus somehow makes Broly's relevance in the canon storyline somewhat corny. Animation/Art: 8/10 I must say that the animation in the movie looked fine, but as typical of Toei, there were those cringey, lazy animations as expected of them. However, that's not something I'd like to ramble on about. What I do think was amazing was the CGI they incorporated into movie using the same CGI as Dragon Ball FighterZ. The fights looked pretty astounding and that's where the movie did shine in glory with its animation. Overall, the animation wasn't bad at all, but props to that CGI. Soundtrack/Music: 5/10 Other than the reminiscence of the traditional Dragon Ball themes, there didn't seem to be much of any connection with anything else. The soundtracks just seemed quite dull to me and barely intriguing. There was a drive to it, but not enough to keep it memorable. Personal Enjoyment: 9/10 As a typical Dragon Ball fan, I enjoyed the heck out of this movie, there shall be almost no complaints from my end except for what happened in the end. I was just straight up "WTFing?" out loud at the end. I didn't expect them to milk the character of Broly down to that level, but I guess I'll give them a chance since it's a whole different Broly compared to the one from the previous movies. VERDICT: 6/10 It was your typical Dragon Ball movie with all that corny Shonen stuff going and awesome fights, but if it's your first time watching, then I'm sure you might love it if you love Shonen fights. If you came expecting to see a good story, then I'd suggest you to not look further into this series. As stated before, I'm ready to watch another Dragon Ball movie or episode any day. Kudos to the artists who put their efforts into movie !
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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